Boston Red Sox superstar Rafael Devers made headlines on February 17 when asserting that he would refuse a move away from third base if his franchise asked him to change positions. This came in the wake of Boston signing Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman.
Devers’ refusal has sparked a lot of debate about him remaining a fit with the Red Sox long-term. While there’s no indication that Boston intends to trade Devers (who signed a 10-year, $313.5 million contract extension with the team before the 2023 season), this viral moment has prompted some within the baseball community to speculate on what potential trades for Devers might look like for select MLB franchises.
And in a February 20 article, Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer made an intriguing potential trade proposal that would bring Devers to the New York Mets.
“Trade Proposal: New York Mets get 3B Rafael Devers; Boston Red Sox get OF Starling Marte, RHP Brandon Sproat (Mets No. 1), OF Drew Gilbert (Mets No. 7),” Rymer wrote.
When saying why this trade proposal would work for the Mets, Rymer wrote, “It would be an imperfect fit, as Devers taking over at third would force Mark Vientos, Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker to share first base and the DH spot.
“And yet, one of those guys (i.e., Winker) should be a bench jockey anyway. There’s also the reality that, even with a $331 million payroll, the Mets project as a second-fiddle NL contender to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies,” he added.
“Adding Devers would upend that equation, with the added bonus of setting the Mets up nicely for beyond 2025. He, Vientos, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor would be aboard for the long haul.”
From Boston’s point of view, Rymer thinks it makes sense because, “The Red Sox would get some immediate savings in this deal, as they’d be swapping out Devers’ $29.5 million salary for Marte’s $20.8 million salary.
“Mind you, Marte would also be useful to Boston in 2025. He could platoon with Wilyer Abreu in right and Yoshida at DH, and he’d do a darn good job of it if he were to carry over his .844 OPS vs. lefties from last year,” he added.
“Arguably, the real draws here are Williams and especially Sproat. The latter is a 24-year-old with three plus pitches, and he doesn’t need much more seasoning in the minor leagues.”
To reiterate, Boston trading Devers is not imminent, nor something that seems likely anytime soon. But if he does become available, this seems like a trade the Mets would be wise to consider.
